LOBLAW IN TRANSITION

TORONTO - For the second year in a row, Loblaw Cos. delivered bad news to shareholders at the company's annual meeting here this month.Like last year, first-quarter results were down, and again most of the blame was attributed to increased competition from nontraditional and non-unionized food retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company also blamed its efforts to revamp its distribution for general merchandise.To

TORONTO - For the second year in a row, Loblaw Cos. delivered bad news to shareholders at the company's annual meeting here this month.

Like last year, first-quarter results were down, and again most of the blame was attributed to increased competition from nontraditional and non-unionized food retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company also blamed its efforts to revamp its distribution for general merchandise.